{"id":25112,"date":"2024-08-05T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-05T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rpmonline.co.uk\/?p=25112"},"modified":"2024-08-10T15:26:41","modified_gmt":"2024-08-10T15:26:41","slug":"love-fiend-handle-with-care-in-the-red-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rpmonline.co.uk\/?p=25112","title":{"rendered":"Love Fiend – ‘Handle With Care’ (In The Red Records)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Another band that are new to me, Love Fiend\u2019s previous singles compilation is good, but this new, studio album takes things up a couple of notches. Hailing from California, \u2018Just For Eddie\u2019 reminds me of the late, great Roy Loney, which is a fine way to start. \u2018Hard Feelings\u2019, with keyboards upfront, is reminiscent of both Devo and The Cars, which is the overall sound across ten songs, but with much more as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Secret Cabals\u2019 is the kind of song that Gary Numan used to excel at, addictive, pumping synths. You\u2019ll be breaking out your Numanoid moves in no time. \u2018Jimmy (Is An Agent)\u2019 is equally catchy, more upbeat, while \u2018Got Bad\u2019 breaks out the sax and a riff that gives a nod to Slade. Which is a great idea, as it goes. Every song here works, they\u2019ve obviously spent some time honing their sound, and it\u2019s paying off. It sounds fresh, yet classic, like a lost album from your big brother\u2019s record collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has pretty much every great hook from the best American pop rock of the late 70s\/early 80s, all the above plus Cheap Trick and The Knack. You can hear all this in \u2018Neu Testament\u2019, and yet they pull off synth pop with \u2018One Forever\u2019 that would please Soft Cell. It shouldn\u2019t work, but it does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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